By Lerato Mutlanyane
Hailing from Bloemfontein, the City of Roses, Palesa “Lisa S” Sentso is stepping into her own spotlight — and bringing a sound that refuses to be boxed in. First known as part of the duo Harmonic Squared, which made waves on the Bloem music scene in 2018, Lisa S has since evol...
Municipalities' failure to remit third-party payments—such as pension fund contributions, medical aid deductions, and tax obligations—will take center stage at the weekend ANC meeting, as the ruling party grapples with the financial mismanagement plaguing local government structures.
The issue has raised alarm within the party, with growing concerns about its impact on service delivery, employee welfare, and public trust.
This comes after the Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, recently announced his intention to withhold 39 municipalities' July 2025 tranche of local government equitable share and conditional grants for their persistent failure to pay third parties.
Of great concern to the Free State ANC is that ten of the defaulters are in the Free State province, owing a whopping R872 million combined to SARS, AGSA, and Pension Fund. The matter is further exacerbated by the R9.5 million owed to the Vaal Central water utility by three defaulting municipalities in the province.
According to a reliable source within the party’s provincial executive committee, the matter is expected to take center stage at the meeting scheduled to start today at the Bram Fischer Building, which serves as the headquarters of the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality.
“The PEC has called municipal troikas to explain themselves. The party leadership has hinted at the recall of some mayors who are not performing their duties. This is expected to be announced on Monday during a media briefing,” said a source.
The ten affected municipalities in the Free State include Kopanong municipality with over R370 million debt to SARS, AGSA, and Pension Fund, followed by Mafube with over R253 million outstanding to the Pension Fund.
Other defaulting municipalities are Letsemeng, Mohokare, Masilonyana, Matjhabeng, Nketoana, Maluti A Phofung and Phumelela.
Godongwana warned that should the municipality fail to submit the evidence that SARS, pension funds, and other relevant statutory third parties have been paid fully, “the national treasury will approach Parliament to endorse that the national treasury stop the transfer of all the LGES due to the municipality over the remainder of the 2025/26 municipal financial year for the municipality’s persistent failure.”
He said that a similar approach will be followed for the municipalities that persist with unfunded budgets and that the ANC PEC must intervene in the identified municipalities to ensure their financial recovery and turnaround.
In a heated cross-examination before the Judicial Conduct Tribunal sitting in Sandton, Johannesburg, the Eastern Cape Judge President, Selby Mbenenge, has denied the sexual harassment allegations made against him.
Wrapping up a four-day tense evidence session with denials of misconduct and claims of consensual flirtation amid missing messages and disputed incidents, Mbenenge (64) accused evidence leader Advocate Salome Scheepers of conducting a “malicious” cross-examination.
The tribunal is probing serious allegations of sexual misconduct brought by High Court secretary Andiswa Mengo (37), who submitted that the senior judge had sent her a sexually explicit image, and later Mbenenge requested she return the favour.
Mbenenge said when he replied to the message, saying the picture looked delicious, it could be that he was referring to a couple engaging or cuddling. “When I say it looks delicious, it is because it could have been a picture of a couple engaging, cuddling, or a sensual picture, but not a private part.”
Evidence leader Advocate Salome Scheepers suggested it was likely that Mbenenge had sent a sexually explicit image (a penis photo).
Mbenenge challenged this, asking for the exact date and time. Scheepers said she couldn't provide that information because the messages had been deleted from his phone.
She added that Mengo, another witness, had testified that when she handed her phone to the police after receiving a death threat, it was returned with some messages and pictures missing.
Advocate Muzi Sikhakhane, representing Mbenenge, objected to this line of questioning. He argued it was unfair and accused Scheepers of trying to reconstruct the case without solid evidence.
In response, Mbenenge called the process “malicious,” a word he would repeat several times during cross-examination. He also claimed that much of what Scheepers was presenting was not fact but rather argument.
Earlier, Mengo testified that she had posted one of the explicit images allegedly sent by Mbenenge to her WhatsApp status as a way of calling for help. She captioned it, stating that the image came from a married man with adult children who held a leadership position.
The tribunal adjourned until 21 and 22 October 2025 for oral arguments.
Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) CEO, Advocate Makhosini Msibi has been placed on precautionary suspension by the board of directors amid whistleblower allegations of financial misconduct, irregular expenditure, and governance failures.
Spokesperson for the Department of Transport Collen Msibi, in a statement released on Friday, confirmed Msibi’s suspension, saying that Refilwe Mongale has been appointed as interim CEO to ensure continuity.
According to the spokesperson, Msibi's precautionary suspension came into effect on 01 July 2025 after a board meeting held on June 13, and he was informed of the decision.
“The board had indicated it took this decision after whistle-blowing allegations of financial misconduct, irregular expenditure, and governance failures at the entity and that based on the seriousness of the allegations, the board has taken a decision to institute a forensic investigation into these allegations,” said Msibi.
He said the former Chairperson of the Free State Provincial Heritage Resources Authority (FSPHRA) will be on precautionary suspension for a period of 30 days, extendable to 60 days or any further period as may be reasonably necessary.
Msibi – who is the husband of the mayor of Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality, Conney Msibi – was previously accused of improperly increasing his package around 2016/17, which was reported to reach nearly R8 million, including a R3 million bonus.
In October 2019, the National Trade Union Congress (NTUC) called for his resignation following a scathing report from the Public Protector. The report found irregularities in the hiring of Julia Manamela as an administration assistant in November 2014.
Allegations of a prior relationship between Msibi and Manamela were dismissed by Msibi.
All eyes are on President Cyril Ramaphosa as he prepares to address the nation this Sunday evening following explosive allegations made by the KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, against Police Minister Senzo Mchunu.
The allegations, which have garnered widespread public attention and concern, pertain to matters of national importance, including the security and safety of South Africans.
Weighing in on the matter is political analyst Professor Matebesi, who believes that the president will not take drastic action against Mkhwanazi but should have called for the arrest of Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, as Mkhwanazi is believed to have credible evidence to back his allegations.
“These are scathing allegations that have caused reputational damage to all parties involved, so at this point, no inquiry or commission will work. The president should allow the criminal and judiciary systems to run their course,” said Matebesi.
However, a resident from Heidedal, Bloemfontein, Rowan Harris, believes otherwise.
“We all know that CR17 will form a commission of inquiry to investigate the allegations. That process will take years, and millions will be spent,” said Harris.
Kgotso Polelo hopes that Ramaphosa will take a pro-citizen approach.
"Citizens suffer at the hands of organized crime and are powerless and defenseless against these unseen forces. I certainly hope that politics are set aside and the president prioritizes and enforces a criminal investigation. We hope that the citizen is prioritized for the first time in a long time in South Africa,” said Polelo.
Community activist Christopher Scott firmly believes that the president is going to protect his comrades before anyone.
We have learned over the past few decades that the ANC will go to great lengths to protect its comrades. Mchunu should have been placed on compulsory leave just after Mkhwanazi’s revelations for the matter to be investigated. However, I believe that a commission will be proposed,” said Scott.
Educator Lefa Litsoane cannot wait for Sunday’s family meeting. “I can’t wait for our family meeting on Sunday. Like many people, I’d like to see people getting fired with immediate effect. The president needs to show us he is serious about fixing the country,” said Litsoane.
“This moment is pivotal for the state’s credibility and Ramaphosa’s leadership, particularly given Mchunu’s close alliance with the President and the recent shift of SAPS Intelligence to the Presidency. With significant public outcry, Ramaphosa’s address will be a delicate balancing act to restore trust while navigating complex political dynamics,” said community activist Gregory Werner.
The humble jock is taking it all in her stride as she continues to flourish
By: Lerato Mutlanyane
What started off as a hobby has now turned into a flourishing career that has spanned close to 15 years for Thokozile Mokgang, popularly known as DJ Zile. The 36-year-old- Bloemfontein DJ’s pure passion for deep soulful house has seen her beat the odds and prevail in the highly competitive DJing industry.
Now DJ Zile continues to grow in leaps and bounds, while leaving a trail of career milestones which continue to shape her stature. Her rise in DJ circles has seen her mixtapes being featured on prominent music platforms, including Hit Refresh on Vuzu TV and Tequila Gang mixes, which can be accessed on Spotify and YouTube.
She is also a radio DJ who once hosted her own show on Fridays called Ladies of Deep on City Radio, while having had her mixes being played on Metro FM’s Urban Beat, which was hosted by legendary DJ’s Vinny Da Vinci and DJ Christos – whom she draws much of her DJing inspiration from.
To add on to her list of milestones, DJ Zile further boasts being a deep house guest DJ at the Spring Music Explosion for six consecutive years and has served as a liaison official and panelist at the Dance Music Summit Conference hosted in Bloemfontein back in 2023.
Despite being a qualified sound engineer, who also dabbles in club and event hosting, DJ Zile has had to navigate through a series of challenges throughout her career. Rising to prominence in a male-dominated industry was not an easy feat, but she boldly declares that it molded her strong character.
“With this industry being male-dominated, I had to work hard to reach my peak and get recognition,” she tells Journal News.
DJ Zile’s career has been quite dynamic to say the least. One of her goals is to start her own all-female music academy to aid prospective female DJs someday. At this rate, she’s probably closer to that goal than many realise.
